Sack of Foxmarch
The '''Sack of Foxmarch '''was the final battle of the Byrosian Civil War. A force of rebels, led by Jace Lyrella, snuck past Toron the Tyrant's forces to the east and smashed into the city, slaughtering its garrison and eventually destroying Arellon's Keep, resulting in Toron's death and the end of the war. Background By 304 GS, Toron the Tyrant was fighting a frustrating war of attrition against the rebels. Acting on information from scouts (who some say was a planted rebel spy), Toron formed up the bulk of his force- some 20,000 Byrosian soldiers- and marched them from Foxmarch east towards Spire Pass, where it was said the rebels made their base. Unbeknownst to Toron, Jace snuck his force of around 1,000 elite soldiers right past the Byrosian soldiers; some say he snuck through the army without them noticing, such was his skill at guerilla warfare. Regardless of how he did it, Jace stood at the backdoor of the capital which was protected by only a light garrison. As he had for the entire war, Toron remained at Arellon's Keep and refused to leave, drowning out the war by holding debaucherous parties and orgies in the palace's Great Hall. The Sack Jace's men used grappling hooks to ascend the walls on the southeast part of the city, on the other side of the River from Toron's castle. After killing the gate guards quietly, Jace and his men opened the gates and allowed the rest of his force to pour into the city. According to Jace's orders, all who laid down their arms were spared, but those who took up arms against his men were slaughtered without mercy. Over half of the loyalist guards fled before the advancing force, throwing down their spears and putting their hands behind their head in the traditional gesture of surrender. At around 11 p.m., Jace's forces reached the Barracks of the Sun, one of two guard housing facilities in Foxmarch. After overwhelming its meager loyalist garrison with little effort, Jace had the Barracks put to the torch. Jace needed the Barracks out of the way to take the Alabaster Bridge, the fastest way to reach the castle. At this point, Toron was still unaware of the attack, as his household guard were all to afraid of his wrath to interrupt his binging. Close to midnight, Jace's forces charged across the Alabaster Bridge. A force of remaining loyalist guards, numbering just two hundred, failed to hold the bridge and were slaughtered almost to the man while Jace endured few casualties. When they reached the castle, Jace's wizard Kilakin the Burning asked what he would do to the castle, and Jace famously replied, "Do what you do best, friend. Burn it." Kilakin conjured an enormous firestorm to engulf the palace, which some label as the last great display of mortal magic in modern history. Aftermath The battle ended the war and established the Lyrella line, which still rules Byros. While Byrosians are overall happy to not live under someone like the Tyrant, some question the morality of Jace's actions, specifically burning the palace (which held many innocent children) and slaughtering the town guard, the survivors of which turned loyal to Jace after the battle was over. According the most scholars, the most profound loss is the destruction of the palace's story tapestry, which detailed the history of Byros from its founding to the present era. See Also *Toron the Tyrant *Byrosian Civil War Category:Events Category:Battles